Looking forward to someone coming out with how most WW2 war films don't portray the Germans in the correct light, or the impact of troops from the colonies/commonwealth - so basically we're all racist.
Perfectly good thread with no sniping.... then you post that. Bravo.
Looking forward to someone coming out with how most WW2 war films don't portray the Germans in the correct light, or the impact of troops from the colonies/commonwealth - so basically we're all racist.
Perfectly good thread with no sniping.... then you post that. Bravo.
It's a joke mate. You know, a joke? The point being that nobody had posted anything like that up to that point, so who exactly was I supposed to be "sniping" at? But now you've taken aim ...... and missed!
Speaking of which, Enemy at the Gates is a good film.
Many great mentions and struggling to narrow it down:
Probably, Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima, Memphis Belle, Come and See, Das Boot.
To those already mentioned, I'd only add (may have repeated so apologies):
The Big Red One - a bit underrated. Inglorious Basterds - For that cellar bar scene alone, one of Tarantino's finest set pieces. The Cruel Sea - Throws you into the action at sea impressively for its time. A Man Escaped - French, almost art-house but very watchable and tense Empire of the Sun - JG Ballard's most accessible work and Spielberg did it proud. Christian Bale was a pretty annoying child actor though. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - One of the better unashamedly propaganda films of the wartime period. Patton - Larger than life character expertly portrayed by the demented George C Scott.
Also, my guilty pleasure, I'll admit it. I actually enjoy Pearl Harbour (From Here to Eternity is passable too). I'd happily watch it just for prime Kate Beckinsale but irrespective, I genuinely thought it was decent. I know...then again, I also really like Titanic, so read into that what you will.
While I agree with lots of the listed films up until now, I'll throw in an idiosyncratic (pronounced pretentious, because that's me, so I'm told, as if it's a bad thing) choice or two...
A Town Like Alice (a, dated now, story by the brilliant Neville Shute, but still a cracking read), there's a decent 1950s film, but I really liked the 1980s TV series as well. I really enjoyed Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, humming the theme tune as I type. Life is Beautiful Mediterraneo Rome Open City impressed me when younger (I may have to rewatch to see if I still think so).
War related, I also like:
Catch 22
I often think about the film Sole Survivor about a General being reunited with a bomber from which he had as a young man bailed out over the Med, that crashed in the desert. It was a TV movie, but really impressive.
The Secret of Santa Vittoria was something I enjoyed as a child, but, like the equally enjoyable Tea with Mussolini, is more of a story set during the war than a war film.
Some great films on here and I love all the classics.
Given I'm in some spiralling AI-loop with Amazon Prime, I now only ever watch second world war films, so I've dug out a few obscure ones that I love:
- 12th Man - true story but unbelievable - 1944 - the Final Defence - Stalingrad - really grim - Hope and Fate - really, really grim (a series of long format episodes)
Gallipoli and South Pacific deserve a mention, as they haven't been said yet I don't think. Too many classics here I hadn't even thought about to come up with 5.
Comments
Bridge at Remagen
Hannibal Brooks
Von Ryans Express (one day Frank will make the train)
Battle Of Britain
Escape To Victory
Fury
Where Eagles Dare
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Alone in Berlin.
and if ‘Band of Brothers’ were a single film then that masterly work gets in, it owes a lot to ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
Battle of Britain gets an honourable mention as it seemed so authentic for a film.
Speaking of which, Enemy at the Gates is a good film.
Kelly's Heroes
A Bridge Too Far
Where Eagles Dare
Schindlers List
Honourable mentions to Dunkirk (new) and Enemy at the Gates. Just can't fit them all in!
Probably, Saving Private Ryan, Letters from Iwo Jima, Memphis Belle, Come and See, Das Boot.
To those already mentioned, I'd only add (may have repeated so apologies):
The Big Red One - a bit underrated.
Inglorious Basterds - For that cellar bar scene alone, one of Tarantino's finest set pieces.
The Cruel Sea - Throws you into the action at sea impressively for its time.
A Man Escaped - French, almost art-house but very watchable and tense
Empire of the Sun - JG Ballard's most accessible work and Spielberg did it proud. Christian Bale was a pretty annoying child actor though.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - One of the better unashamedly propaganda films of the wartime period.
Patton - Larger than life character expertly portrayed by the demented George C Scott.
Also, my guilty pleasure, I'll admit it. I actually enjoy Pearl Harbour (From Here to Eternity is passable too). I'd happily watch it just for prime Kate Beckinsale but irrespective, I genuinely thought it was decent. I know...then again, I also really like Titanic, so read into that what you will.
A Town Like Alice (a, dated now, story by the brilliant Neville Shute, but still a cracking read), there's a decent 1950s film, but I really liked the 1980s TV series as well.
I really enjoyed Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, humming the theme tune as I type.
Life is Beautiful
Mediterraneo
Rome Open City impressed me when younger (I may have to rewatch to see if I still think so).
War related, I also like:
Catch 22
I often think about the film Sole Survivor about a General being reunited with a bomber from which he had as a young man bailed out over the Med, that crashed in the desert. It was a TV movie, but really impressive.
The Secret of Santa Vittoria was something I enjoyed as a child, but, like the equally enjoyable Tea with Mussolini, is more of a story set during the war than a war film.
Given I'm in some spiralling AI-loop with Amazon Prime, I now only ever watch second world war films, so I've dug out a few obscure ones that I love:
- 12th Man - true story but unbelievable
- 1944 - the Final Defence
- Stalingrad - really grim
- Hope and Fate - really, really grim (a series of long format episodes)
Battle of Britain
Town Like Alice
A Bridge too far
Battle of the River Plate
None of that fantasy revisioned Yank shite.
A Bridge Too Far
Ice Cold in Alex
The Longest Day
5 reminders that war is hell
Come and See
Fires on the Plain
Grave of the Fireflies
Das Boot
Die Brucke (1959)
EDIT Gallipoli doesn't because I'm a fool...
I'll add Downfall and Darkest Hour as well
Kanal
Rome Open City
Battle of the Rails
Some great choices for foreign films.
The Darkest Hour
Battle of Britain
A Bridge Too Far
The Guns Of Navarone
"The Highest Honour" made in 1982.
On a lighter note, if the thread could be extended to include tv sitcoms then I would definitely go for ‘Allo ‘Allo and It ain’t half hot mum